Reports on 2002/127 and 2004/82 Exchange Programs

 

1       Some information about the context of the programs.

 

The mobility of Greek people, in terms of studying and training, is quite poor, while there is a high degree of mobility for business and tourism.

Business oriented mobility concerns mainly Northern Italy which is considered to represent the best business opportunities. This is partly because between the 60’s and the 80’s a great number of Greeks had studied at Universities in Northern Italy, where they acquired a good command of the language and they became familiar with the places.

Southern Italy is little known by the Greeks, attracting them only for a short visit to the ancient Greek colonies and especially in villages where the Greek language is still being spoken.

A distorted image of Southern Italy has been projected –and not just to Greek people- concerning welfare and crime, which deters many visitors to the area.

Similarly, a distorted image has also been projected with regard to the Northern part of Greece as underdeveloped and insecure, given its vicinity with several turbulent Balkan countries.

These prejudices associated with both sides, instead of discouraging, have been seen as a challenge.

1.1     The context of the sending organization

The EC-Business & Innovation Center is a non-profit organization, founded in 1993 as a European Project, financed then by the DG XVI, which now is the Directory General of Regional Development. The territory covered extends from the Turkish Border, in the East, to the rest of the region of Central Macedonia, second biggest to Attica (Athens), with a population of a little more than 900.000 inhabitants (map).

The headquarters is in Serres (photo-1 of Serres), a town of a little less than 100.000 inhabitants (photo-2 of Serres).

Serres belongs to the Central Macedonia region, while the rest of the territory belongs to the region of East Macedonia and Thrace. Under this particularity, the short distance (one hour drive) from Thessaloniki and the lack of an EC-BIC there, some services are provided upon request.

There are 4 Universities in the territory covered (Democritus University, Department of Physical Education in Serres, TEI of Serres and TEI of Kavala) while other three are in Thessaloniki (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Macedonia University and TEI of Thessaloniki) with which there are strong links.

The idea of an EC-BIC is to bring together the private, the public and the institutional actors in an equal representation, as much as this may be possible. On the other hand, one of the main sources of innovation is Academia, so there have been established both formal and informal co-operations.

The Greek effort to cope up with the developments in business and society has adopted the go-digital European program. A part of the Greek program is devoted to the dissemination of Information and Communication Technologies in Small and Medium Enterprises, especially the very small ones, and the Agricultural Sector.

The projects co-finance the acquisition of computer equipment and their connection to the Internet and they provide free on-site training.

For this last purpose, after an early intervention of the EC-BIC of Serres and the TEI (University) of Serres, it has been accepted that students and young graduates can be used as “Guiding and Supporting Consultants” (SYK).

1.2     The context of the receiving organization

1.2.1    Geographic perspective

Calabria is a Region with 2.000.000 inhabitants, mainly rural, mountainous and long, with an extended coast. It is quite similar to the territory of the sending organization.

The pro capita annual revenue has classified Calabria as an objective 1 region.

1.2.2    Cultural Perspective

Calabria is still considered to belong to what Italians call “Magna Grecia” (Great Greece - "Magna Grecia"), after the colonization of Southern Italy by the Greeks, already from the IX century BC. Most of the landmark names are the same with the ancient Greek once and some isolated villages still speak Greek. Greeks are still welcome, although considered noticeably underdeveloped, in comparison.

1.2.3    Education and Research

In the region there is one big new and important University, with it’s administrative center in Cosenza and important branches in Regio Della Calabria, Catanzaro and Krotone.

All the research in the Region is guided by the University, although not fully controlled.

There is an early adoption of information and Communication Technologies, although the diffusion is not much extended.

1.2.4    Economic Activities

Primary sector is dominant (agriculture and fishery), while there is an evident contribution of transportation and tourism, especially agritourism, as well as the services sector.

Productive enterprises are limited to few, small, innovative and successful, in the same time.

1.2.5    Social Perspective

A high level of unemployment of emarginated population, together with the one of women and young graduates are leading to “irregular work”, which is the main concern of the society.

Family values take precedence over social responsibility. Social relations are considered as being a solid basis for trustworthy transactions.

The sense of beauty prevails to the calculation of usefulness.

2       The sending organization

EC- BIC of Serres (for East Macedonia and Thrace)

2.1     Functions of the organization

2.2     Experience of the Organization

The assistance to the creation of new, innovative and youth oriented companies. One of them may be considered as a pattern (METRON S.A.).

Working close together with the Academic Institutes, has created a “Knowledge Base” of successes and failures, as reflected by the usual behavior of the young educated persons and the Academic Staff.

3       The receiving organization

Centro d’ Ingegneria Economica e Sociale (CIES) - c/o The University of Calabria.  

3.1     Nature of the organization

Non profit organization, affiliated to the “Universita della Calabria”.  Members of the organization are the University of Calabria, the Polytechnic of Milan and many national and local enterprises, among them the BIC of Calabria.

3.2     Functions of the organization

The Organization operates in the fields of Innovation, Research and Training.

3.3     Experience of the Organization  

Many international projects, the most important of which are:

Master Degrees (Scuola Superiore Majise).

Sensors of Innovation.

4       The background of the links between sending and receiving organizations

4.1     The starting point

In 1995 the first contact with the receiving organization was a “side effect” of the Erasmus – Socrates program, while the Chief Executive Officer of the sending organization, as a professor of the Technological Education Institute (TEI) of Serres, paid a visit in order to teach Business Planning techniques at the University of Calabria and met the vice president Dr. Jacques Guenot.

4.2     The development of links

Year after year, Mr. Karanassios and Mr. Chamalis, from the sending organization and Prof. Guenot from the receiving side, were paying visits one to the other, exploring the possibilities of working together.

The most important of these efforts have been:

The presentation in a Cosenza conference of the “Market Aesthetics”, in 1999.

The meeting with Prof. Romano Prodi and Prof. Guenot together with a committee of the EC-BIC of Serres, at his official visit in Thessaloniki in 2001.

The creation of a group of Universities in Northern Greece, in order to become the higher education partners of the “Innovation Sensors”, together with the EC-BIC of Serres, in 2003.

 

 

4.3     The expansion of links

In 2003 the EC-BIC of Serres organized the 2nd Development Conference of the Serres Prefectures. CIES (the receiving Organization), the University of Calabria and the Calabria Region, had a vivid presence, as invited speakers, in subjects concerning Education and Training, transports, Tourism, Employment and Finance.

A Master’s degree in Logistics Management, has been prepared, in favor of the TEI of Serres and has been accepted by the Municipality of Sidirokastro (a small town near the border with Bulgaria), providing premises.

5       The EL/2002/EX/127 project

The project was aiming to improve the skills of trainers in their job to train entrepreneurs in their ability to teach to the entrepreneurs how to use the Information and Communication Technologies.

40 students and young graduates, hosted by CIES, have been trained to approach the entrepreneurs in a manner different than usual, enriching their methodology with examples coming from a similar, yet with a more technologically advanced, environment.

6       The EL/2004/EX-82 project

The project was aiming to improve the skills of the aspirant trainers at the expected project aiming to the wider agricultural sector.

46 students and young graduates, in their preparation of trainers, have been prepared to assist the agricultural operators to plan and use the Information and Communication Technologies in their jobs. They acquired the skills through a study program and of their discussions with similar operators in an environment with a common social background.

7       The goals of the projects

To transfer the mentality of professional skills development, from advanced to introductory ICT users in small and family owned business.

8       Results achieved

8.1     The EL/2002/EX/127 project

The participants have been awarded with Europass and a certificate of the both the sending and receiving organizations.

The TEI (University) of Serres decided to offer lessons of Italian Language, as free of charge.

Participated students express their interest in participating in the Socrates program, in Italy.

Local Administration increased interest in supporting transnational projects.

8.2     The EL/2004/EX-82 project

The participants have been awarded with Europass and a certificate of the both the sending and receiving organizations.

Enterprises connected to the receiving organization expressed interest in employing participants as apprentices.

The Municipality of “Nova Siri” offered shelter to students wishing to participate in cultural and business studies.